Join the Beautiful World of Expert Photography

Virtually everyone has held or used a camera. You may have taken vacation pictures, portraits of friends, or subjects in nature. Capturing images for a living, however, requires that you have both a creative eye and strong technical expertise.

Career Training in Photography: Sharpening Your Focus

One way to gain technical expertise is to undertake coursework. Colleges, universities, and online degree programs offer programs to fit different individual needs--from a certificate of completion to associate's and bachelor's degrees.

You may be surprised at all the different industries that demand skilled photographers. Aside from portraiture, careers in photography can include:

• Commercial and industrial photography
• Scientific photography
• Photojournalism
• Fine arts photography

Specialized entry-level positions in scientific photography, commercial photography and photojournalism often require a college degree in the respective field of study.

Photography Careers: Looking at the Wide Angle

The majority of photographers are self-employed. Despite the uncertainty of forgoing a salary, this career path can offer creative satisfaction and autonomy. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average mean salary of a photographer was $35,640 as of May 2008.